The present inventions relate to television and other media that present programs for viewing, and particularly relate to user interfaces for the display and the selection of programs for viewing.
Newspapers and other paper publications conveniently print guides to the programs available for viewing on television. But a newspaper or other paper publication may not always be available to a viewer when the viewer decides to watch some television. For convenience, cable companies typically display a guide to the programming they offer on a dedicated channel of the cable service. In addition to convenience, the guide may be provided by the cable company as a vehicle to carry advertising, and thus, provide additional revenue to the cable company. A viewer may tune his or her television to the channel carrying the guide and review the programming information to choose a program to watch. Such a guide on a television monitor may be referred to as a channel guide, program guide, electronic guide, electronic television guide, electronic programming guide (EPG), a user interface, program schedule, or by similar terms. Generally, herein the term xe2x80x9cuser interfacexe2x80x9d is used with respect to the present inventions.
Electronic programming guides are generally known. Examples of electronic programming guides are described in the patent to Mankovitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,559,550, entitled xe2x80x9cApparatus and Methods for Synchronizing a Clock to a Network Clock,xe2x80x9d as well as in other publicly available documents. Information regarding the extraction of a program schedule from a signal provided to a television so as to create a user interface may be obtained from the patent to Mankovitz, U.S. Pat. No. 5,640,484, entitled xe2x80x9cSwitch for Automatic Selection of Television Signal Sources for Delivery of Television Guide Data.xe2x80x9d
In addition to television, electronic programming guides may be used in other environments. For example, an electronic programming guide may be useful in the context of the global information network (Internet) or other computer or data networks. Some of these networks offer multiple programs available for selection by a viewer to read, to watch, to use, to interact with, etc. To gain information about the available programs and to make a selection, the viewer may use an electronic programming guide that is displayed on a computer monitor or similar device used by the viewer. Televisions, computers, networked computers, and the like are referred to herein generally as xe2x80x9cmedia devicesxe2x80x9d.
When using an electronic programming guide, a viewer typically is interested in information including: (1) the channel or other locator of an available program; (2) the temporal characteristics of an available program such as start time, duration, end time, current availability, etc.; and (3) the name, title, or other identifier of an available program. Also, a viewer may be interested in gaining information about the availability of programs of a particular type or related to a specific or specialty topic. For example, a viewer may be interested in knowing whether any sports programs are available, and particularly, whether any baseball games are available for viewing.
In addition, a viewer may be interested in knowing the available programming during a certain time slot or interval. For example, a viewer may have a choice with respect to scheduling time for television or other media use. Thus, the viewer may not necessarily be interested in the current or other near term programming available. Rather, the viewer is interested in knowing what programming is available when the viewer is likely to schedule his or her television or other media break. Based on a review of the available programming during any particular time slot, the viewer may decide to plan to take the television break at the initially selected time, or reschedule the break for a time when more interesting programming to the viewer is available.
Accordingly, there is a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information such as: (1) the channel or other locator of an available program; (2) the temporal characteristics of an available program such as start time, duration, end time, current availability, etc.; and/or (3) the name, title, or other identifier of an available program. There is also a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information about the availability of programs of a particular type or related to a specific or specialty topic. In addition, there is a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information as to the available programming during a certain time slot or interval as selected by the viewer.
Stated generally, the present inventions include methods, systems, and user interfaces for presenting information related to available programming to a viewer and/or other user. An exemplary user interface is presented on a monitor of a media device (such as television screen or computer screen). The exemplary user interface provides information as to the channels (or other location indicator), titles, and/or time characteristics of available programming.
Advantageously, the viewer may interact with the user interface so as to have a selected portion or portions of the user interface highlighted for clearer viewing or for other reasons. For example, the viewer may select a topic from a list of topics, and have a program or all programs related to the topic highlighted on the user interface. Further, the viewer may hone his or her programming selection by first selecting a general topic from the list of topics, and then further selecting a specialty topic from a specialty topic list that is related to the general topic selected by the viewer. The program or programs related to the specialty topic may be highlighted on the user interface. The viewer also may interact with the user interface so as to select programming (from the highlighted programs on the user interface or in other ways) and have the programming displayed on the monitor of the media device.
In addition, the viewer may interact with an exemplary user interface by designating a time period or time slot in which the viewer is interested. In response to the designation of a time period, the user interface may provide information such as channel (or other locator), title, and/or time characteristics of programming available during the designated time period. Advantageously, the viewer may change the time period. In response to the change, the user interface may change the information provided so as to accurately reflect the programming available during the changed, designated time period. Further, the viewer may interact with the user interface so as to choose a program available during the designated time period and have the program displayed on the monitor of the media device.
Particularly described, the exemplary embodiments of the present inventions provide user interfaces for presentation on a monitor of a media device. An exemplary user interface may include a topic list having topic entries such as xe2x80x9clocal newsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cnational newsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cworld newsxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9call sportsxe2x80x9d, and the like. In addition, a topic entry may include or correspond to a specialty topic list. The specialty topic list may include specialty topic entries related to the topic entry. For example, a topic entry may be xe2x80x9call sports.xe2x80x9d This topic entry may include a specialty topic list with the following specialty topic entries: xe2x80x9cbaseballxe2x80x9d; xe2x80x9cbasketballxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cfootballxe2x80x9d, and the like. Thus, the viewer may select a topic entry such as xe2x80x9call sportsxe2x80x9d from the topic list. In response, the specialty topic list corresponding to the selected topic entry may be displayed, and using the xe2x80x9call sportsxe2x80x9d topic entry, the specialty topic list may include the following specialty topic entries: xe2x80x9cbaseballxe2x80x9d; xe2x80x9cbasketballxe2x80x9d, and xe2x80x9cfootball. Further, a specialty topic entry may be selected as an elected specialty topic entry and that elected specialty topic entry may be highlighted on the user interface.
In addition to the topic list and the specialty topic list, an exemplary user interface may include an array with programming information. Of course, the array with programming information may be displayed before or after display of the topic list and the specialty topic list.
An exemplary array with programming information includes three columns (channel, current show, and next show) with commonly aligned rows. Each row of the channel column includes a channel indicator. Each row of the current show column includes a current show title naming a program available for viewing at the current time on a channel of the media device corresponding to the channel indicator in a commonly aligned row in the channel column. Each row of the current show column also may include a start time for the program available for viewing at the current time. Each row of the next show column includes a next show title naming a show available for viewing after the program available for viewing at the current time on the channel of the media device corresponding to the channel indicator in the commonly aligned row in the channel column. Each row of the next show column also may include a start time for the program available as the next show after the current show.
Advantageously, the array of this exemplary user interface provides a viewer with information as to the current programs available (i.e., programs in progress) on the available channels, and as to the next show available on any of these channels.
In addition, the array of this exemplary user interface allows for a row, a channel indicator, or a current show title to be selected by a viewer, and if selected, to be highlighted. In addition, the viewer may provide an indication that the program available for view at the current time and corresponding to the selected (and perhaps highlighted) row, channel indicator, or current show title may be displayed on the monitor of the media device.
Further, the exemplary array may interact with the topic list and the specialty topic list discussed above. For example, the array may respond to the selection of a selected topic entry or to the election of an elected specialty topic entry. In particular, the response may be the highlighting in the array of a program having a topic in common with the selected topic entry and/or with the elected specialty topic entry. Further, the array may be operative to receive an indication from the viewer to view the program having the topic in common with the selected topic entry and/or with the elected specialty topic entry. The array then may cause the program to be displayed on the monitor of the media device.
Advantageously, the present inventions include another exemplary user interface. This exemplary user interface includes a time slot and an array. The time slot provides for the display of a time period as may be selected by the viewer. The array includes two columns (channel and program) having commonly aligned rows. Each row of the channel column includes a channel indicator. Each row of the program column includes a program title naming a program available for viewing during the selected time period on a channel of the media device corresponding to the channel indicator in a commonly aligned row in the channel column.
This exemplary user interface allows a viewer to select a time period, and then, to view the programming that is available on the available channels during that selected time period.
This exemplary user interface allows a viewer to change the time period in the time slot. If the time period is changed, then the program title in each row of the program column may change to a different program title naming a different program available for viewing during the different selected time period. Of course, a program title in a particular row may not appear to the viewer to change if the same program is available during the different selected time period as well as the originally selected time period.
Further in this exemplary user interface, the array may be receptive to a selection by the viewer of a selected row, a selected channel indicator, or a selected program title. In response, the selected row, the selected channel indicator, or the selected program title may be highlighted. Further, the program corresponding to the selected row, the selected channel indicator, or the selected program title may be displayed on the monitor of the media device.
In sum, the present inventions include methods, systems, and user interfaces for presenting information related to available programming to a viewer and for allowing interaction with the viewer.
Therefore, it is an object of the present inventions to satisfy a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information such as: (1) the channel or other locator of an available program; (2) the temporal characteristics of an available program such as start time, duration, end time, current availability, etc.; and/or (3) the name, title, or other identifier of an available program.
It is also an object of the present inventions to satisfy a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information about the availability of programs of a particular type or related to a specific or specialty topic.
It is an additional object of the present inventions to satisfy a need for an electronic programming guide that provides a viewer with information as to the available programming during a certain time slot or interval as selected by the viewer.
That the present inventions and the exemplary embodiments thereof accomplish the objects of the inventions set forth herein will become apparent from the detailed description that follows.